Frontal-Photopolymerization of Fully Biobased Epoxy Composites

• The radical-induced cationic frontal photopolymerization (RICFP) of fully biobased epoxy composites is successfully demonstrated. This curing strategy considerably reduces the curing time and improves the efficiency of the composite fabrication. Two different natural fiber fabrics made of cellulose and flax fibers are embedded in two epoxy matrices, one derived from vanillin (diglycidylether of vanillyl alcohol-DGEVA) and the other from petroleum (3,4-epoxycyclohexylmethyl 3,4-epoxycyclohexanecarboxylate-CE). After RICFP the composites are characterized by means of dynamic mechanical thermal analysis and tensile tests. The mechanical properties improved with increasing fiber content, confirming a strong adhesion between the matrix and the reinforcing fiber fabrics, which is further evidenced by scanning electron microscopy analyses of the fracture surfaces. Furthermore, these fully bio-based composites possess comparable or even higher mechanical strength compared with the corresponding epoxy composites fabricated with conventional CE resin. A promising facile route to high-performing natural fiber-biobased epoxy resin composites is presented. 

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Annan fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Other Physics Topics (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Kemiteknik -- Annan kemiteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Chemical Engineering -- Other Chemical Engineering (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik -- Annan materialteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering -- Other Materials Engineering (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik -- Kompositmaterial och -teknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering -- Composite Science and Engineering (hsv//eng)

Keyword

biobased composite

RICFP

UV-curing

Curing

Epoxy resins

Natural fibers

Photopolymerization

Tensile testing

Thermoanalysis

Biobased epoxy

Cationics

Cellulose fiber

Composite fabrication

Curing time

Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis

Epoxy composite

Epoxy matrices

Flax fibres

Photo polymerization

Scanning electron microscopy

Composites

Efficiency

Polyepoxides

Vanillin

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)